


Unkept Promises

by denna5



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-19
Updated: 2014-08-19
Packaged: 2018-02-13 20:15:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2163780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/denna5/pseuds/denna5
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for this prompt.<br/>Bucky had always been good at making promises to himself.</p>
<p>Next time Steve decides to run into a fight, he's doing it on his own.</p>
<p>I'm going to tell him how beautiful he is like this.</p>
<p>I know they won't want him. I gotta tell him why. Why I chose the dames who won't. 'Cause if they were the ones who would, he'd see just how I looked at him the same.</p>
<p>If I ever get out of here, I'm gonna kiss him. I'm gonna tell him how I feel.</p>
<p>Bucky had always been good at making promises to himself. He'd never been good at keeping them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unkept Promises

**Author's Note:**

> This prompt was beautiful and so I had to write something short for it. Hope you enjoy.

Bucky had always been good at making promises to himself. He'd never been good at keeping them.

_Next time Steve decides to run into a fight, he's doing it on his own._  
  
His nose hurts and he is pretty sure that his shirt is stained. There is blood all down the front of it, the handkerchief he holds to his nose isn’t stopping the blood from dripping down. Bucky should maybe sit down instead of walking with his face partially covered but he just wants to get home so he keeps walking.

“I’m sorry, I just saw what they were doing and I rushed in with out thinking.”

Steve is right beside him, voice sincere but it does nothing to help soothe the pain in his face. He had seen some guys trying to get the pocket money of some teenager and had tried to stop them, Bucky had tried to stop Steve from being beaten and the teen had run away from the scuffle. There had not been too many punches thrown but one had caught him just right and his nose suffered for it before the fight scattered.

“You always rush in without thinking and now I’m the one bleeding. Next time, you are on your own.”

They are almost home and Steve doesn’t say anything else, just keeps walking beside him.   It doesn’t take long and they are in the apartment and Steve is getting him a wet cloth to wash his nose with. He is still a bit angry about it but it is hard to hold on to it as Steve helps him clean up, as he apologizes for it happening one more time and takes Bucky’s shirt without a word. Bucky sees him scrubbing on it most of the night and somehow, Steve gets most of the blood out. He tells him thanks and neither of them say anything about Bucky telling him he is on his own for the next fight.

Bucky had meant that at the time, had promised to himself that he was going to let Steve fend for himself, that it would be the best thing. If Steve wanted to be dumb and run in and get himself hurt, than Bucky would let him. Maybe Steve would finally stop doing it, would keep himself safe. Bucky intended to keep that promise to himself but it wasn’t even a week later that Steve got himself in trouble and Bucky ran after him. It just seems to be the way it is, Bucky can’t help but want to protect him.

_I'm going to tell him how beautiful he is like this._  
One of Bucky’s favorite things is to watch Steve draw. Steve is good at it, has been improving steadily with the few classes he takes but that isn’t the only reason why Bucky keeps getting him sketchpads. There is just something calming about watching Steve draw, about watching him sketch whatever he sees. He is sketching now, is in one of his classes, and Bucky watches him.

One of his hands holds his pad and the other has his pencil, his fingers wrapped around it loosely. The pencil is gliding over the paper, the picture starting to form. Steve’s eyes bounce back and forth, from the lines he is drawing to the display of objects in the front of the room. His forehead is wrinkled just slightly in though. Every once in a while, his mouth opens and his tongue wets his lips before it closes again. He looks absolutely calm like this, beautiful really.

It is not the first time Bucky has thought this but it is the first time he thinks about telling him. There is no one else near them and if he says it quietly enough not will hear it. He isn’t sure how Steve will react but he doesn’t think it will effect things too much and besides Steve deserves to be told.

“You are getting much better at drawing bowls of fruit.”

It is not what he meant to say. Steve looks up at him, rolls his eyes just a bit but says thanks before going back to his drawing. Bucky cringes inside, doesn’t show it. He will wait a few minutes and then when the moment is right again he can tell Steve what he meant to in the first place.

The door to the room opens after a few minutes and there is commotion. Pearl Harbor has been attacked and the moment doesn’t come.

_I know they won't want him. I gotta tell him why. Why I chose the dames who won't. 'Cause if they were the ones who would, he'd see just how I looked at him the same._

It is his last night before he ships out, his last night with Steve. The girls are nice, pretty and it had been easy to charm them into a date.   He figured it would be a nice way to spend the night and he is getting along well with Betty but he knows that Steve isn’t having as good of luck with his date, Ann.

There are girls who would like Steve, who would understand just what a great guy he is, but those aren’t the ones Bucky sets him up with. He always picks the girls that aren’t going to want him, that won’t appreciate him. Tonight is no exception.

Steve’s date isn’t going well at all and Bucky feels guilt. He knows why he does this, why he sets him up with the ones who won’t work. If it was a girl who could love him, who would look at him and get him, Steve would figure it out, would see what Bucky has been hiding for a while. Bucky ships out tomorrow, may not return, and as he watches the expo, he makes a promise. He will tell Steve tonight, explain everything.

He turns around to check on him and that is when he notices that Steve is gone. Ann looks somewhat relived and though Bucky picked her cause he knew she wouldn’t like him, he still feels offended for his friend. He makes an excuse to both girls and leaves to find Steve.

There is a recruitment center and that is the first place he goes. Steve is there and Bucky lets his anger take over for a minute, lets his worry show. His promise is forgotten right now as they argue but it doesn’t last long. Bucky can’t stay mad at Steve too long and Steve is too stubborn to give up on this and so Bucky leaves him with a hug, pats his back. He doesn’t see Steve the rest of the night and in the morning, he doesn’t see him either and Bucky doesn’t keep his promise.   


_If I ever get out of here, I'm gonna kiss him. I'm gonna tell him how I feel._  
  
The beer is cold and it tastes good and Bucky takes plenty of drinks of it. He is freed now, save by Steve who is taller than him now, different, but his eyes are still the same and Bucky knows that it is still the Steve he knew back home, still his friend. He tells him just as much when he tells him that is who he is going to follow.

There is a promise running through his head right now as he sits next to Steve, one he made when he was strapped to that table, when he wasn’t sure he was going to make it. He is going to do it, just not here. In a few minutes, he will get Steve to leave with him and when they are somewhere alone, he will kiss him, will tell him everything he should have before this war started. He takes a few more drinks, steadies himself as he gets ready to tell him that they should leave. He is about to say it when he notices Steve’s attention drift away and he follows his eyes and there is a dame there.

She is beautiful and Bucky recognizes her from the camp. He flirts more out of reflex than instinct but she isn’t paying attention to him at all. She doesn’t even look at him, her eyes are on Steve the whole time as she talks to him. Something starts to sink in his stomach as he looks at her a little more closely, as he looks at the expression on her face as she looks at Steve. It is one he knows well, has had on his own face.

This Agent Carter wants Steve, sees him, really sees him. Steve is looking at her and there is open admiration on his face and Bucky feels cold all over. He can’t do it now, can’t tell Steve what he needs to. As she leaves, he makes a quip about turning into Steve, tires to laugh when Steve makes a joke about her having a friend. He tries not to let his heart break more when Steve doesn’t seem to see that something is wrong, tries to be happy for his friend. He promises himself that he will still follow Steve, knows that it is the one promise he can keep.


End file.
